Our Science

Proclara’s novel approach to treating protein misfolding diseases is based on the fact that many toxic aggregates of misfolded proteins share a common characteristic – the amyloid protein fold – that represents a unique target for drug development.

Most current therapies being investigated for neurodegenerative diseases target only a single type of misfolded protein, not addressing the fact that these diseases are often characterized by the buildup of multiple types of pathologic protein aggregates. Our scientists have developed a novel proprietary technology known as GAIM, or General Amyloid Interaction Motif, that simultaneously targets multiple misfolded proteins implicated in both neurodegenerative and progressive peripheral diseases, potentially creating a more robust response that could be suitable for patients at all stages of disease.

Our GAIM-based therapies use a novel mechanism to bind to the amyloid fold of toxic protein aggregates of various types, including amyloid-β (Aβ), Tau, and α-synuclein aggregates, which accumulate in the brain to cause Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, and antibody light chain (AL) or transthyretin (TTR) aggregates, which accumulate in peripheral organs to cause systemic amyloidosis diseases. Our therapies are designed to prevent the further accumulation of aggregates and clear existing aggregates from the brain and peripheral organs, while also blocking further cell-to-cell spread of misfolded proteins. We believe these therapies offer a breakthrough approach to treating protein misfolding diseases.

Proclara is developing several product candidates for the treatment of a broad range of aging diseases and certain peripheral indications. These include its lead development candidate, NPT088, which is currently in clinical development for Alzheimer’s disease, and the 2nd generation GAIM fusion protein NPT189, in development for systemic amyloidoses, currently in a Phase 1a clinical trial.

An Urgent Need

Proteins are large, exquisitely folded molecules that play essential and diverse roles in the human body. When normal protein folding is disrupted, these misfolded proteins clump together – binding to form toxic aggregates.

Protein misfolding is a well-characterized hallmark of severe neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Specifically, in Alzheimer’s disease, misfolded protein aggregates are plaques, made of aggregated β-amyloid, tangles, made of aggregated Tau, and sometimes α-synuclein aggregates that cause brain dysfunction and eventually, nerve cell death. In Parkinson’s Disease, α-synuclein aggregates are predominantly involved, sometimes accompanied by plaques, made of aggregated β-amyloid, and tangles, made of aggregated Tau.

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s place an enormous economic and social burden on patients, caregivers, and society. Alzheimer’s is the most common neurodegenerative disease and the leading cause of dementia, which currently affects approximately 5.5 million in the US and 47 million worldwide. That number is expected to grow to 131 million by 2050.1, 2

Parkinson’s disease, the second most common neurodegenerative disease, affects an estimated 0.5 to 1 million in the US, and more than 10 million worldwide.3, 4

Protein misfolding is also a characteristic of certain rare diseases caused by systemic accumulation of amyloid protein aggregates. Examples of systemic amyloidosis with accumulation of tissue-damaging aggregates in peripheral organs include several types of transthyretin (TTR) amyloidoses and light chain (AL) amyloidosis.

There is a critical unmet need to develop novel treatments for protein misfolding diseases, for which no approved disease-modifying treatments currently exist.

Systemic amyloidoses represents a broad collection of orphan diseases in which misfolded proteins can cause peripheral organ damage. Prominent among these diseases are transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR), with the inherited versions of the disease affecting ~50,000 persons worldwide, and non-inherited ATTR affecting ~90% of persons >90 years old worldwide5, 6; and antibody light chain (AL) amyloidosis with up to 4,000 new cases per year in the US7. Both ATTR and AL amyloidosis can be fatal diseases that may be treatable using protein aggregate reduction therapy, such as NPT189, to rescue organ function.

There is a critical unmet need to develop novel treatments for protein misfolding diseases, for which no approved disease-modifying treatments currently exist.